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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. rule — government
  3. snap — to click
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rule — a law
  7. capital — a city
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. sharp — clever
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. capital — money
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. sharp — exactly

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com